Zepbound and Alcohol: 6 Things to Know About This Interaction

You recently started Zepbound (tirzepatide) to help you lose weight. You’ve also been making lifestyle changes to support your weight-loss goals. But during a night out with friends, they order a round of drinks for everyone.

You hesitate for a moment. You know limiting alcohol is helpful when it comes to losing weight. But is it safe to drink at all while using Zepbound? Well, there’s no direct interaction between the two. But you still may want to avoid mixing alcohol and Zepbound. Here are six reasons.

1. Alcohol doesn’t directly interact with Zepbound, but it’s best to avoid or limit alcohol while using it

Alcohol doesn’t directly interact with Zepbound. This means drinking doesn’t change how your body absorbs or clears the medication. But as we’ll detail below, alcohol can worsen certain Zepbound side effects. Drinking can also diminish some of the medication’s benefits.

So while Zepbound and alcohol don’t technically interact, it’s still recommended to avoid the combination.

2. Alcohol can worsen certain common Zepbound side effects

It’s common to experience digestive side effects while using Zepbound. These may include:

• Nausea

• Vomiting

• Diarrhea

• Constipation

• Heartburn

• Stomach pain

• Burping

• Gas

Most people find their side effects most bothersome when they first start Zepbound, or after increasing their dose. They tend to improve or go away once your body adjusts to the medication.

Alcohol can also cause similar digestive side effects. Combining Zepbound and alcohol may make these uncomfortable effects worse. This is especially true when you’re first starting Zepbound. But it’s possible to have these issues any time you mix the two, no matter how long you’ve been using Zepbound.

3. Zepbound and heavy alcohol use both carry a risk for pancreatitis and kidney damage

You’re likely familiar with the short-term effects of alcohol, such as the digestive side effects mentioned above. But drinking also has many long-term effects, especially drinking heavily. In particular, heavy alcohol use can cause pancreatitis (swelling of the pancreas) and kidney damage.

Although very rare, people have also reported these serious complications while using Zepbound. More research is needed to know for sure, but drinking heavily while using Zepbound may raise your risk of developing pancreatitis or kidney damage. And if you have a history of either issue, your risk for them may be even higher.

What’s more, drinking alcohol can dehydrate you. And if Zepbound causes vomiting or diarrhea, this can also lead to dehydration. In severe cases, dehydration can damage your kidneys.

4. Alcohol can make it harder to lose weight with Zepbound

There are things that can make it more difficult to lose weight. Some factors, such as your age or genetics, aren’t things you can change. But drinking less alcohol is one way to help support your weight-loss goals.

Drinking both slows your metabolism and adds extra calories to your diet. Consuming alcohol, especially heavy or regular use, can fight against Zepbound’s weight-loss benefits. So it’s possible that you may not lose as much weight with Zepbound if you’re also drinking alcohol.

5. Alcohol may worsen sleep apnea

Besides weight loss, Zepbound is also FDA-approved to treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). If you’re living with OSA, there are foods and drinks that can hinder your sleep quality. Alcohol is one you should avoid if you have OSA.

Alcohol, even just an occasional drink, can have the following effects on your sleep:

• It makes you more likely to wake up overnight.

• It lowers your overall sleep quality, leaving you feeling less rested when you wake up.

• It relaxes the muscles in your throat, which can block your airways.

• It interferes with your ability to wake up if you stop breathing while sleeping. This means your body spends more time without oxygen.

If you’re using Zepbound for OSA, it’s best to avoid alcohol altogether. This isn’t because drinking necessarily makes Zepbound less effective. It’s because alcohol has negative effects for people with this condition.

6. You may not have the same desire to drink alcohol while taking Zepbound

It’s possible that you may have a lower desire to drink alcohol while using Zepbound. This is because of how Zepbound works.

When you drink alcohol, your brain releases a hormone called dopamine. Dopamine is like a reward for your brain. And it encourages you to drink again in the future.

Zepbound acts like two natural gut hormones:

• Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP)

• Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1)

Once injected, Zepbound attaches to GIP and GLP-1 receptors (binding sites) throughout your body. And there are binding sites in the reward center of your brain.

When Zepbound attaches to them, your brain may not get the same dopamine boost as it usually does. So drinking alcohol may not give you as good of a feeling when you’re using Zepbound.

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Written by:

Austin Ulrich, PharmD, BCACP

​​Austin Ulrich, PharmD, BCACP, is a board-certified ambulatory care clinical pharmacist. Ulrich’s experience includes direct patient care in hospital and community pharmacies.

Edited by:

Christina Aungst, PharmD, MWC

Christina Aungst, PharmD, MWC is a senior pharmacy editor for GoodRx. She began writing for GoodRx Health in 2019.

Reviewed by:

Alyssa Billingsley, PharmD

Alyssa Billingsley, PharmD, is the director of pharmacy content for GoodRx. She has over a decade of experience as a pharmacist and has worked in clinical, academic, and administrative roles.

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